Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-03-11
ON TRIAL FOR HIS LIFE.

O4l AAA44h OAt AAAO LII III
THE LIFE OF ONE MAN IN THE HANDS
OF TWELVE OF HIS PEERS.
CH4S. d. YARD on TRIAL FOR THE
MURDER or SAMUEL JEWELL
The trial Of Chas. ID. Ward for the shoot
ing and killing of Samuel Jewell, which
occurred on Thursday morning, January
9th, 1857. at or about g o'clock, a few
miles south of Edin burg, on the railroad,
at place called "Cat Hollow" was open
ed on Tuesday morning, OF this week,
Judge Newman, Of the county court of
Shenandoah, presiding On account of
the widespread knowledge Of the murder,
as given by the newspapers, considerable
difficulty was experienced IN getting
jury, which, as finally chosen, was COM
posed as follows: Frank p. Coiiman, L.
L. Ryman, David z. Zirkle, W. A. Head
ley, +. Z. Sibert, John ID. Borden, Joseph
2. Snarr, Jacob Rymau, George Bowman,
John W. Martin, Eli X. Smith and Z. =.
Baker
MRS. SIDNEY JEWELL.
The first witness put on the stand was
Mrs. Sidney Jewell, the widow of themur-
dercd man. She testified that she had
been married years, and was aged ~
years. She said the prisoner at the bar
was her halfbrother. Her husband start
cd from the house on the morning of the
murder (the eth with his axe 20 break
down the fence made by kavanaugh, and
that Kavanaugh called him --- son of
-, and told him to leave at once. jew
ell started towards kavanaugh, who was
at the gate, and demanded that he take
/ his insulting remark back kavanaugh
moved back 10 the porch, and Jewell fol-
/ lowed him. Kavsnaugh grasped paling
| and held it mp as il 10 strike Jewell, who
stood near with the uplifted axe. AT this
| juncture Charlie Ward came out and or
dered Jewell off, who refused to 20, and
threatened to slap Wards face, and also
threatened him with thoaxe. Ward went
down 20 another house and got q gun,
Jewell following him. Ward stood inside
the door and raised his gun Gan old army
musket) but his wards mother knocked
it aside, begging him not to shoot Jewell
then moved forward with the uplifted axe,
saying, 'I'il cut your heart out" or some
thing Of the kind, witness did not re-
member which. Just then Ward fred
aud Jewell fell TO his knees and threw
his hand to his side with the excla.
nation "Oh Lord" Then he seemed to
recover himself for moment, rose up
and clutching his axe with both hands
She ran and caught him and laid him
down on his back. Jewell lived about
two minutes after receiving the shot
Ward was only partly dressed, having on
his shirt and pants, but no shoes when he
came ont to see Jew ell He told Kava-
nangh to 60 and tell some one where to
find JEWELS dead body, when Kavanaugh
exclaimed, "Why in the hell should tell
any one - She recognized JEWELS clothes
when shown to her Said she knew of no
hole in the coat and blouse before he was
shot. (The hole in the coat and blouse
was about four inches in diameter when
shown in court. lie was putting on his
clothes when he went out (that is Ward F.
Was at the door soon after the quarellng
started between Ka vanaugh and Jewell. /
Mr.. Kayanaugh Mrs. Kavanaugh, Ward, F..
Jewell and myself were the only persons
present. went at once for my uncle, F.
Luther Ward, and when he and came
back Kavanaugh and Charlie Ward were |
both gone. The body was in the same
position as when left it, Jewell was
shot from the kitchen door Of the lower /
house. His feet were towards the door /
Jewell worked on farms, chopped wood, /
made axe handles, &c. On the morning of
the murder he was to 20 TO the turnpike :
to work. In his way to the pike he al
ways passed Kavanaughs yard until lie .
was forbidden to do so 10y Mrs. Kaya-
naugh three weeks before He had not .
been on Kayanaughs property since until /
the morning Of the 9th. Before he had .
lived back Of Edinburg Mrs. Kavanaugh /
had promised him that if he would build .
house and keep up the place he could I
live there. He bad built the house me
lived in. Jewell had put his hands on the
| fence and said, Take that fence away
] from here or will tear il down" Porch
Of kayanaughs upper house joins the low
er house, and door opened in it but it
was not used, Kayanaugh and bis wife
sleep in the kitchen Of the lower house
Ward slept in the high house. Three rooms
/ in the big house and two in the small one.
jewell started out with the intention Of
knocking down the fence The fence was
moved on the Wednesday before aud put
up strong. The entire ground taken in
was next to the railroad and near the cnt
'Jewell got up that morning to knock
that fence down to the railroad He had
no breakfast, had not started 10 work, but
had cut little wood before he went to
the fence. Said the night before he would
kill Charlie Ward the next morning il he
had to take him ont Of bed TO do it, Kav-
anaugh picked mp fence paling and went
up to the porch, Jewell following him with
an axe. Both stood threatening each 9th
er, &c Jewell followed Charlie down TO
over house. Mother was standing near
Charlie, who was inside the door Saw
only the gun when it was fired. Could
not see Ward. Saw no one threaten Jew
ell until he had threatened them. Jewell
was not tall man. He appeared very
angry. think Jewell would have struck
Ward with the axe if Ward had not shot
Went TO bed about o'clock the night be
fore. The edge of the axe was towards
Ward.
DIR. WILLIAMSON.
DR.. Williamson, a practicing physician,
an expert, was introduced and testified
Was at the scene five or six hours after
the shooting. There were a number Of
persons there. Body lying prone on its
back. A gunshot wound in left of body
between fifth and sixth ribs, near left mp.
pie. twenty-five shot orifces on outside
Of body. Could have seen great many
others. Size of shot orifices about one
tenth Of an inch. Indications were that the
body had fallen forward and had been